But every once in awhile? We get lucky. Every once in a while, there comes a show; so brilliant, so compelling, so real, so honest, so raw, and so poignant – you will laugh out loud and ugly cry all at the same damn time. And THIS is that VERY show.

From the first episode with the craziest plot twist – a plot twist NO ONE WILL EVER SEE COMING – all the way through the Mid-Sesason Winter Finale with the craziest plot twist – a plot twist NO ONE WILL EVER SEE COMING! UM!! OMG!!

You will fall in love with every character, even if you don’t want to. You will be forced to feel ALL OF THE FEELS, but in a really good, cathartic kind of way. Seriously, keep a box of Kleenex handy. And you will THANK THE SHOW for making you experience all of the feels. You will be left thinking, laughing, crying, and hugging your own chest. Hell, you might even hug those closest to you even more. I know I have.

And … If not?
You’re clearly not human.
And you have no soul.

* Honestly, this show comes with my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

I just hope the writers & network, keep up with the pace & fabulousness of this show. Because right now? It’s nothing short of phenomenal.

PS: This show is sort of like the old network show, Parenthood, only on STEROIDS. And the only cable comparison has to be my all time FAVORITE Showtime series, SHAMELESS. Yeah, it’s like that. Just not as ‘raunchy’

British crime/drama series filmed and set in Northern Ireland.
Two hunters. One: cold, deliberate, and highly efficient. The other: strong, athletic, and married with children. One is a serial killer and the other is a cop.

Trailer:

My Commentary:

Okay, so, um, yeah….

I have OBSESSED over this show ever since it premiered a few years back. However, almost a year passed between seasons 2 & 3. After watching the first half-hour of the season three premiere, I forgot what happened in the previous seasons. So if you have a bad memory, like me, may I suggest watching the last two episodes of season two – like a refresher course – before starting season three. Because season three LITERALLY picks up EXACTLY where season two ended.

Filmed in Northern Ireland, this British crime drama will grab you immediately. The relationship between police detective Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) and the serial killer Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan) is nothing short of dynamic. It’s sooooo much deeper than your typical ‘good against evil’ or ‘light against dark’. The way she gets inside of his head, and the way he gets inside of her head, gets inside YOUR head and the psychological thrilling never ends. While she’s hunting him, he’s hunting his next victim, all the while taunting her. And maybe – in the end – just maybe, these two aren’t as different as they think they are.

Season three is a lot more graphic than the previous seasons – especially the hospital scenes. So. Much. Blood. You’ve been warned. There’s also less dialogue this season and more thought provoking actions than before. Some people thought this season too ‘slow’ but I completely disagree! In fact, I watched all six episodes in one sitting because I COULD NOT WAIT to find out what was going to happen next. Without giving anything away – I found myself screaming at the television, several times, uncontrollably. Luckily, all of my questions were answered before the finale.

The Fall received positive reviews from critics. Both the first and the second season received a rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The third season has a rating of 75%.[40] The first season has a score of 81 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating “universal acclaim”. The third season has a score of 60 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[41]

A dark comedy about four twenty-somethings entangled in a mystery when a former college acquaintance goes missing.

Trailer:

My Commentary:

I absolutely adore the main character, Dory, played by Alia Shawkat, mostly because I’ve loved her since her role on Arrested Development. But in this series, she’s much more awkward and totally desperate to find her purpose in life – especially when her old college friend shows up on a Missing Persons flyer.

Dory is convinced something terrible happened but refuses to believe Chantal is dead. Dory wrangles three friends to help find Chantal. These four self-absorbed, clueless, millennials come together to help search for Chantal. On their quest, the find themselves dealing with pseudo intellectuals, private investigators, wannabe artists, and even a cult!

The series consists of 10 episodes but they’re only a half-hour long. And because this series isn’t super heavy, or crazy intense, it’s very easy to watch the entire season in one day. Like I did.

I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s definitely a doozie! They ended the season properly, but left the door slightly open for another season. And I truly hope there will be another season.

Doctor Anna Macy finds herself inexplicably linked to the disappearance of two girls, fifteen years apart.

Trailer:

My Commentary:

Filmed in Tasmania – an island state of the Commonwealth of Australia – Anna Macy is a highly-regarded doctor, working at a hospital in London, suffering from headaches and frequent memory lapses. After one of her black-outs, she wakes up back in her hometown, Kettering. She left the town 15 years prior, after the mysterious disappearance of her best friend, Gillian. Upon her return, another girl goes missing, forcing Anna to search for the truth about both missing girls.

I am a HUGE fan of Australian television, so I went into this with high hopes. The first seven episodes are truly phenomenal. Gripping. Chilling. Mind-bending. I loved those seven episodes so much that I went back and re-watched them with My Love so that he wouldn’t miss out.

In fact I was FURIOUS I had wasted sooooo much time on a series that completely dropped the ball and screwed the viewers out of something that could have been incredible. And, they left way too many loose ends. I was left with more questions than answers.

I’m not the only one who feels this way. Moreover, as of now, there will NOT be another season. So viewers are left hanging, forever.

So, if you have 8 hours to waste, only to be sorely disappointed, then knock yourself out. Otherwise, sadly, this show is an epic fail. Don’t waste your time.

From Wikipedia:

The Kettering Incident is an Australian television drama series screening on Foxtel’s showcase channel in Australia on 4 July 2016] It is created by Victoria Madden and Vincent Sheehan, produced by Porchlight Films and Sweet Potato Films and written by Victoria Madden, Louise Fox, Cate Shortland and Andrew Knight.

Synopsis:
Perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle, Fortitude is one of the safest towns on earth. There has never been a violent crime here. Until now.

Trailer:

My Commentary:

Okay, so, the first ½ hour of the first episode is SLOW.AS.FUCK.
I mean, holy shit slow.
SLOW. SLOW. SLOW.

But then, one night, home alone, sleepless, and raging with PMS – I forced myself to get past that dreadful ½ hour and almost out of NOWHERE the show completely explodes and takes off. And once it takes off, it hits the ground running, and doesn’t stop.

Fortitude is a British psychological thriller. Similar to shows such as: Top of the Lake, or The Killing. The scenery is absolutely incredible. Most was filmed on location in Iceland. And if anyone reading this knows me, you know I love all things snowy, icy, and freezing.

A mysterious discovery, by two kids, could potentially derail big plans for the glacier hotel – much needed boost to the local economy. And people are suddenly, brutally, murdered. An affair, shady law enforcement, and an infectious disease are destroying life on the island. Who lives? Who dies? Who’s doing the killing? What’s making the polar bears act so crazy? Why won’t the mainland help them? And what is with the pig in the hyperbaric chamber?

I’m not going to lie. This show is REALLY graphic. Like up close and personal graphic. There were scenes I watched covering my eyes with my hands – peeking through my fingers – hoping the camera would pan to another scene, and yet, I couldn’t look away.

Emmy Award Winning, Stanley Tucci, is one of my all-time favorite actors from movies such as: The Hunger Games, and, The Devil Wears Prada. So when he appears, in the second episode, as the main detective person, I was thrilled! I was not familiar with any of the other actors with the exception of, Nicholas Pinnock, who played the asshole-cheating-husband on the Netflix Series: Marcella. And I think I only recognized him, because he played the role of the asshole-cheating-husband in this series too!

The season is 12 episodes – each lasting one hour. And if you believe in karma, you’ll love the season finale.

I am not sure if it’s going to air in the United States, on any venue, but I am reading reports season two is set to premiere in January 2017.

“Now we have official confirmation that Fortitude season 2 is in the works and is expected to premiere sometime in January, 2017.” …. Continue reading HERE with spoilers.

Synopsis:
Anthology series. Displaying the dark side of life and the scary side of technology.

Trailer:

My Commentary:

This show is OFF.THE.CHAIN. It’s way outside of my normal scope of television viewing. I’ve never been into anything remotely Sci-Fi. But, this isn’t really Sci-Fi in the traditional sense. Touted by Stephen King as, “terrifying, funny, intelligent” and “like this generations, Twilight Zone.” And that is completely accurate. It’s definitely mind-fucking, twisted, and intensely disturbing. You’ve been warned.

Season Three consists of six episodes – one hour each – but what’s interesting is that you don’t need to ‘binge-watch’ because none of the episodes intersect with each other. Each episode stands on it’s own. Some of those episodes really make you think and stick with you for days.

Without giving too much away, because I loathe when other people post spoilers, I will just list my favorite episodes of this season.

Billy Bob Thornton plays the main character, Billy McBride, a washed-up, once rock-star lawyer, with alcoholic tendencies. And he’s never been better! Love me some Billy Bob! I found myself yelling at the television routing for him.

William Hurt, as Donald Cooperman, the other co-founder of the law-firm, spends most of his time in a darkened room, nursing his half-burnt face and clicking on an annoying signaling device. This mofo is the villain of the series and holy fucking creepy. Like, seriously? I got the heebeejeebees every time he was on screen!

I totally fell IN LOVE with Nina Arianda as Billy’s co-chair, Patty. I didn’t really like her in the first episode, but then, omg, total girl crush! Michelle McBride, Billy’s ex-wife, played by Maria Bello also had me at, “Hello.” And lastly, Molly Parker as Callie Senate, Billy’s rival in the courtroom, played the perfect Cunty McCuntbag, because I totally hated her. Like I was supposed to.

Over eight episodes the series tells the story of one case. From the moment it falls into Billy’s lap through the crazy court battle between him and Donald Cooperman.

I found myself totally engaged from the opening scene. I stayed completely hooked every episode. And the finale left me wanting even more! The whole series is kind of a throw back to 90’s television, like The Practice, only way better.

This whole season has been filled with ‘Holy Shit’ moments. Between Teresa coming home from “camp” to her and Melissa finally forming a true union, to Jacqueline acting completely out of character and quite frankly crazy – my jaw has been on the floor. ON. THE. FLOOR. This has been one of my favorite seasons. Except for the season when Teresa flipped tables, almost punched Any Cohen, and Danielle Staub was all the rage.

However the saddest, yet most touching episode this season, had to be episode 14:
“The Importance of Being Family.”Teresa struggles to stay strong as she says goodbye to her husband, Joe, who begins his 41-month prison sentence.
[We all know the drama surrounding Teresa & Joe Giudice.If you don’t? Click HERE.]

I cried when Teresa came home and hugged her four daughters for the first time as a free woman. But NOTHING made me cry harder than watching Milania, the 3rd daughter, say saying goodbye to her father.

If you don’t like Woody Allen, kindly walk away.
And keep your vicious comments to yourself.
I will not engage.
Good TV is good TV.
The End.

Synopsis:
A comedy that takes place in the 1960’s during turbulent times in the United States and a middle class suburban family is visited by a guest who turns their household completely upside down.

Trailer:

My Commentary:

Warnings:

1. Opening scene begins with credits, so, no, you’re not doing it wrong.
You didn’t miss anything. No need to restart/rewind. Like I did. TWICE.

2. Also? If you’re over the age of 30? Do not be distracted by Max Casella, as the barber. Because holy shit, he got old. But so did we.

3. Lastly? Miley Cyrus. I’ve only recently started liking Miley since the newest season of, The Voice, NBC. And she did not disappoint.

*** *** ***

I had high hopes, mostly because I love Woody Allen – as an artist, a director, and a writer. And even though I wasn’t completely engaged, I also wasn’t completely disappointed. I watched all six episodes in one sitting, probably because they’re only 25 minutes long and it took less than three hours of my life. Plus, there were truly laughable moments – just not enough laughable moments to keep me ‘hooked’ unconditionally.

And here’s why…

I thought the writing for Miley’s character, Lennie Dale, was unrealistic. She’s supposed to be a radical, people. Not a literary professor. Woody basically plays himself, as Sidney J. Munsinger, a typical neurotic hermit – which has been done to death – and done much better by Larry David. I think the only reason I kept watching was because of Elaine May, playing the role of Kay Munsinger. However, I can’t figure out if I Ioved her in this particular role, or if I just love her because of ‘Small Time Crooks’ one of my all time favorite movies. The second she opens her mouth, I immediately start laughing.

On the other hand, if you’re over the age of 50, you might have a much different viewing experience watching this series. And I have to admit the finale had me in stitches. Doubled over, holding my stomach, laughing.

In any event, IMHO, this series is more of a “filler” show – yanno, like, when you have NOTHING else to watch.

I’ve been given a gift. Finding the most awesome television shows, ever.

Some people read fortunes, see the dead, or communicate with the other side. Other people provide stock options, develop retirement plans, or figure out super fancy shit with money. Some people learn. Some people teach. Some people have degrees. And some people just flip burgers or mop floors.

I am not any of those people.

I’m just a television junkie. Committed to all things TV since 1974.

And I am here to give you the inside info.

I’ll let you know when something is worthy of binge-watching. And I’ll give you the reasons why.

I’ll let you know when something is NOT worthy of binge-watching. And I’ll give you those reasons why.

Why?

Because I’m nice like that.

On the other hand?

I am NOT going to research facts, or spend hours perusing IMBD, or spend one second looking up Rotten Tomato or other notable Critic Scores. I am NOT going to read reviews before, during, or after – watching any show, on any venue, ever.

Hope y’all enjoy my recommendations, as much as I enjoy watching these shows.

* PS: Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome, usually on my Facebook account. Except for anything SyFy and/or History. NO. Because, BORING. Denied.
FYI: I favor crime/suspense/murder/mystery – on any & all venues. And then I will lean on: Comedy, HGTV, IDTV, BRAVOTV, or even Reality TV, when desperate.